Some facts and frictions about Indians in US and their hunt for visa

1.5 million Indians are waiting for their green card and the wait time to get one could be between 10 and 15 years.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said earlier this week that India was in talks with the US to reconsider a move to scrap work permits to spouses of H1B visas holders in the US. The American immigration policies are a concern for many Indians who live and work on visas like H-1B, F1, H4 and L1. From stricter norms for granting work permits and student visas to refusal to give extensions to people waiting for years for permanent residency — there are many things to worry about. However, a look at recent numbers shows that Indians still get a major share of US non-immigrant visas:

What’s Worrying: H-1B Extensions: Growing Backlog*The January 2018 visa bulletin of the US Department of State shows that the government is currently processing green card applications of Indian citizens filed by their employers in 2006-08.

* Backlog of Indians on green card queues: 1.5 million

* Wait time for Indians: From 10-15 years to a few decades

*Indian H4 kids who will age out of green card queues at the age of 21: 200,000*

Note: These are rough figures by Skilled Immigrants in America (SIIA). Age out means H4 dependent kids will turn 21 before their parents can get their green cards and will have to apply for green cards separately. These children are also being called DALCA kids by advocacy groups who are seeking the same protection for them as undocumented children who are currently receiving relief from deportation via the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme in the US.

(Source: Estimates by advocacy group SIIA)Indian Students in US*186,267 Indian students enrolled in US campuses in 2016-17

*India is second after China in the number of foreign students in the US

Note: The figures for this year, which will be released in November, are likely to show a downward trend (Source: Annual Open Doors report on international education)

However, Indians Still Get a Lion’s Share of US Visas*74.2% of 345,262 H1B visas that were approved in 2016 went to Indians

*75.6% of 365,682 H1B visas that were approved in 2017 went to Indians

*This despite the fact that there has been a drop in the number of H-1B visas being granted to applicants from India

*No. of new H-1Bs for Indians fell from 70,737 in 2016 to 67,815 in 2017. New visas were less than 63% in both years. The increase was in renewals and continuing employment

*In H-1B visa approvals, China came second, after India, with less than 9.5% of all H1B visas in both 2016 and 2017

(Source: US Citizenship and Immigration Services)

Optional Practical Training*441,400 No. of Indian graduates in US authorised to work under OPT between 2004 and 2016

*Indians were the largest cohort: They were 30% of nearly 1.5 million foreign graduate students who got authorisation to remain and work under OPT

*Chinese students were the second largest group and South Koreans were the third largest group

(Source: Study by Pew Research Centre on data from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

H4 EAD (Work permits for spouses of H1B visa holders)*104,750 Total No. of H4 visa holders who got work permits from 2015 to June 2017